The Companion
by GraceBelargio
Summary: <html><head></head>Mainly based around a young Pokemon trainer's travelling companion. After all, we don't all aim to be the very best, like no-one ever was. Based in Unova. Mostly OCs, a mix of game and anime dynamics, and a little bit AU (so things in the Pokemon world make a little more sense).</html>
1. An Unpleasant Young Man

**Author's Note: First off, I had to remove the entire fic and re-upload, as there were a lot of bugs that just wouldn't go away when I tried to edit chapters on the site, so I'm sorry about that...**

**Now that that's out of the way; Hi! This is my first fic, so reviews are very much encouraged (but please be nice ^3^), even if it's just to let me know you've read it!**

**This is based in Unova, with a mix of game and anime dynamics. Most of the characters are of my own invention, with some characters from the games/anime making minor appearances. Some aspects of the Pokemon verse have been altered, to make a little more sense ;) For example, I made some known characters a little older.**

**I think that's it for now, so please enjoy, and please review if you can!**

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><p>Monty's dark blue eyes were wide with panic, long dark hair streaming behind her as she ran along the pavement. Narrowly avoiding a man in a suit with his eyes glued to a newspaper, the girl turned a corner opening onto a familiar square. There she stopped, breath ragged, and listened.<p>

The trickling water of the fountain in the centre of the open space, the dull drone of people's voices, footsteps on the cobblestones beneath their feet. Monty's heart pounded in her chest, the sound of it filling her ears. _Come on... Where are you?_

And then she heard it.

"Growlithe! Grooooooooowl!"

She ran towards the noise, weaving through the busy square.

On the opposite side, an overly enthusiastic Growlithe barked at a boy in his late teens, jumping up and pawing at his legs, tail wagging madly.

"Quit it!" The boy attempted to push the Pokemon away, only to have it immediately return with even more fever. Black hair fell into liquid brown eyes as he backed away, a crowd of curious passerbys beginning to gather around him.

"Growl! Stop that right _now_!"

A girl about his own age erupted from the crowd and skidded to a stop by the Growlithe.

Immediately, the puppy Pokemon seemed to forget its uncontainable desires towards the boy, and began happily panting up at her, obviously rather pleased with himself. Face red, she turned towards the boy.

"I am so sorry," Monty apologised, horror struck. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the boy answered shortly. He began brushing down his clothes; a dark green button up shirt, open to reveal a grey t-shirt underneath, and black denim jeans. "But you should either keep your out of control Growlithe in a Pokeball, or train it."

Swinging his backpack over one shoulder, he looked at the girl properly. She wore black tights under a little red dress, and thick soled boots that laced almost up to her knees. Around her neck was tied a tattered brown bandana.

"I said I was sorry," Monty retorted, obviously at a loss at what to say. She crossed her arms.

"Yes, and it sounded fairly well rehearsed. I'm guessing this isn't the first time your Pokemon has tried to knock someone to the ground."

"Growlithe! Growl!" Growl barked happily, tail still wagging.

The girl obviously chose to ignore his last comment. "My Growlithe _is_ trained, for your information." It was then that she spotted the small Pokeballs attached to the boy's belt. "Wait, are you a Pokemon trainer?"

"Yeah," the boy answered, and raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

She appeared to ponder for a moment before answering, "Yes."

_It's not a complete lie, _Monty thought. _I've been training with Growl at least. Not for Pokemon battles exactly, but still..._

"Alright." The boy brushed his fringe out of his eyes. "Do you want to have a battle then?" He suddenly seemed a little awkward.

"Umm..." Monty looked down at Growl, who looked up at her, then to the boy. His ears drooped, and his tail stopped wagging. Growl looked back up to Monty and whined. "Apparently not," she answered.

"If your Growlithe refuses to battle just use one of your other Pokemon."

"Yeah... about that..." Now it was Monty's turn to feel awkward.

"You do have other Pokemon, don't you?" Now the boy was growing impatient. He sighed. "Let me get this straight. You're a Pokemon trainer, whose only Pokemon is a Growlithe that not only refuses to battle when you're challenged, but apparently lacks even the most basic obedience training. Does that just about cover it?"

Monty flushed red. "Just wait a minute! Growl does not 'lack basic obedience training'!" She looked down at her Pokemon. "Growl, sit."

He happily panted up at her, backside wagging in the air.

"Growl, _sit!_" she ordered.

The Growlithe barked.

"No, that's speak, I said sit not speak! _Growl!_" Monty looked up to see the boy turn around and begin to walk away.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, but with a few steps he disappeared into the crowd.

Monty crossed her arms again, fuming. She took a deep breath.

"What a thoroughly unpleasant young man," she remarked mildly. She then looked back to Growl and scathed, "And thank you very much for your co-operation."

Growl promptly sat down.

Some time later, the girl and her Growlithe walked through a narrow doorway. It was situated between a bustling restaurant filled with the sound of people and the smell of cooking food, and a busy department store where expensively dressed mannequins stared at passersbys from the front window. A little bell attached to the door alerted a portly middle-aged man to their presence.

His cheery face fell when he saw them. "No! Not again, not today! _Out_!"

"But, Maurice -" Monty began, but was interrupted.

"I said _no!_ Every day you come into _my_ deli and eat _my_ food and you _never_ pay your bill! Enough!"

"OK, OK, I'm sorry, Maurice! Really, I am!" Monty knew this routine. "I understand if you won't serve me. But what about Growl? You wouldn't let an innocent puppy Pokemon go hungry, would you? I mean, who could resist this face?"

As Monty leaned down and slipped her hands around Growl's chest she whispered, "Do the face."

When Monty held out Growl to an unimpressed Maurice, the Pokemon's eyes were wide and filled with sadness and longing. He held the man's gaze, and added a pitiful whine for good measure. Maurice cracked.

"Oh alright, just quit with the face, would you? I might be able to whip something up for Growl. But I'm warning you two, this is the last time!"

"Great!" Monty put Growl back down. "And I'll have a sandwich too, thanks."

Growl led the way to their usual booth at the back of the tiny deli, and sat in his favourite place by the window. Monty slipped into the booth opposite and winked at him. Within moments Maurice had arrived with two sandwiches bursting with delicious meats, salads and sauces, all of his own creation.

"Thanks, Maurice!"

"Growl!"

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, but smiled and scratched Growl behind the ear before mussing Monty's hair. "You two are my best customers, and you never even pay. What does that say about my business, huh?" Still smiling, he shook his head and headed back into the little kitchen behind the front counter.

It wasn't until after they had both finished their meals that Monty spoke again. "What do you want to do now? We could go back to the square?"

Growl tilted his head to the side.

"No? OK then. How about we see if anything's going on at the gym?"

"Growl!" he agreed.

They said their goodbyes to Maurice and headed across town to the school, which also happened to be the Aspertia City gym. It was mid afternoon by now, and Monty could see a small crowd of high school students gathered around the battle field. She expertly climbed and vaulted over the wire fence surrounding the grounds of the gym while Growl wriggled through a small hole dug under it.

"What's going on?" she asked a girl she knew when she reached the battle field.

"Oh, hi. Cheren's got a challenger. And there's a door over there, by the way."

"I know, my way's easier." Monty disliked having to walk through the school and its grounds to get to the gym. She tried to peer over the heads of a group of taller kids in front of her. It seemed like the battle was already over. "How'd Cheren do?"

The girl winced. "Well, it was really something to watch, put it that way. I don't think I would have believed Cheren could go down like that."

"Wow..." Monty had only seen Cheren lose a handful of times, and he had always put up a fight until the end. At that moment, the group of kids in front of them moved, and Monty had a clear view of the battle field. In the centre stood Cheren, a familiar sight. 20-something, tall and always a little high-strung. But when Monty saw who was standing alongside him, she scowled.

"Growl!" Growl, on the other hand, was obviously excited. Before Monty could stop him, the Growlithe ran towards the two men.

She set off after him, and thankfully caught Growl mid jump just before he ploughed into Cheren and the boy they had met in the Square. He gave her a lick under the chin, and was content to stay in her arms.

"Oh, hello Monty," Cheren smiled. "You missed the battle."

"Ah, yeah, sorry." Monty's cheeks were pink as she turned to the boy. "Hello again," she said stiffly.

He seemed quite disinterested as he replied, "I guess that's your name then? Monty?"

Monty opened her mouth to retort, but Cheren wisely interrupted.

"I suppose you two have met? Then I'm sure you'll be happy know, Monty, that Carlyle here just won a Basic Badge." He opened his hand out to Carlyle, holding a Basic Badge. "Congratulations, it really was quite a battle."

To Monty's astonishment, Carlyle's face went pink as he gazed at Cheren's palm. "Thank you," he mumbled, and hesitantly reached out to take his badge.

Cheren smiled again as Carlyle stared at his new badge, and Monty stared at Carlyle. Growl looked at Cheren, and Cheren reached out and rubbed him behind the ear, breaking whatever spell was holding Monty's attention.

"I'm glad you're here," he said to her. "Could you please show Carlyle to the Pokemon Centre? I'm sure he'd like to have his Pokemon looked over by Nurse Joy."

"What?" The thought that she would have to spend more time with this boy certainly didn't appeal to Monty. "Why can't you ask one of your students?"

"Because I'm asking you." Cheren took her by the shoulders and turned her to face Carlyle, who was carefully slotting his badge into a badge case, but looked up when Cheren spoke again. "Carlyle, Monty has been kind enough to volunteer to show you to our city's Pokemon Centre."

He seemed very surprised. "She has?"

So was Monty. "I have?"

"Yes. Once again I want to thank you for the battle today, Carlyle." He extended his arm and shook hands with the young trainer. "You two should get going," Cheren insisted, giving Monty a little push to get her moving.

She gained her footing and looked over at Carlyle as he fell into step beside her. He was still a little pink in the face, and his eyes seemed wider and warmer than they were that morning. She looked away as he glanced over to her.

Growl still firmly in her grasp, Monty led the way through the school grounds, and through the school itself, neither her nor Carlyle speaking. It wasn't until they reached the front gates of the school that Monty let Growl down to the ground, where he trotted along behind her feet.

She couldn't stand the silence any longer. "So, I hear you really thrashed Cheren back there."

Carlyle seemed surprised. "Oh, umm... Thanks. I think."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, by the way you were acting this morning. How many Badges do you have now, if you don't mind me asking?"

Carlyle flushed pink again. "Well," he seemed uncomfortable, but then he confessed. "Now, I have one, actually."

Monty stopped, causing Growl to crash into the back of her legs. She ignored him for a moment. "You mean, that was your first gym battle? How long have you been a Pokemon trainer, then?"

"About a week."

Monty blinked at him

"Growl!" Her Pokemon barked, and pushed her leg with his head. They started walking again.

"Well then," Monty was still a little stunned, "congratulations on beating Cheren so easily." _Even if you were a jerk to us._

"It definitely wasn't easy," Carlyle seemed a little more relaxed now that Monty had initiated a conversation. He seemed keen to change the subject. "So I guess you know Cheren? Are you a student at the school?"

Monty shook her head. "No. Cheren arrived here soon after I left school. Then, he decided to set up a Pokemon gym there."

"So, how old are you then? If you already graduated before Cheren got here, I mean."

"I said I left school, not that I graduated," Monty didn't look at him when she said this. It was clearly not a subject she wished to discuss.

Carlyle felt awkward again. He wasn't sure what to say next, but he knew he didn't want the conservation to end like this; this was the first real conversation he had had since he left home. _Not that I'm about to tell her that._ "Sorry," he mumbled.

Monty turned back to face him and smiled. "It's fine, really. So, where are you from, anyway?"

The conversation grew easier the longer they walked together. Carlyle told Monty about Castelia City, and how he had travelled here with his Pokemon. He also ended up giving something akin to an apology regarding their meeting that morning. Monty, considerably more friendly after this exchange, told him about how she had grown up here in Aspertia City, and had never left, even though she often thought about it.

"Why don't you, then?" Carlyle asked when she said this.

"I don't know," Monty blushed. "I know this place, and I guess I know I'm safe here, even though I'm on my own." She was finding it difficult to put her thoughts into words.

"But, you're not so sure how you would cope in unfamiliar places?" Carlyle looked up at the sky. "Yeah, I guess I understand that. I mean, I was pretty nervous leaving home on my own, even though I had my Pokemon. I still am." Still staring at the sky, he continued, "And I'll admit, even though I do love my Pokemon, it's been nice to talk to someone who can talk back."

Monty looked away again. She understood what Carlyle meant; Growl meant the world to her, but conversation with him was hardly what she would call mentally stimulating. And most of her conversations with people were shallow and fleeting; she'd never even spoken like this with Cheren before. Carlyle looked at her again, to find her still lost in thought. The pair turned a corner, and spotted the Pokemon Centre up ahead. They stopped outside.

"Well, here you go," Monty announced awkwardly.

"Yeah, thanks." Carlyle shifted his feet.

"Good luck with everything, Carlyle," Monty smiled, and held out her hand.

"You too, Monty," Carlyle shook her hand.

Growl whimpered as he and Monty turned and began walking away.

Carlyle couldn't stop himself, "Wait!"

Monty looked back to see that Carlyle was just as surprised as she was. He seemed to recover a little, and began talking, "I know you said you didn't want to travel alone, and I don't either. So, I was just thinking maybe this was a good opportunity, you know, for both of us..."

_What is he saying? _Monty watched as he faltered and rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what to say next.

"Look," Carlyle sighed, "all I'm saying is, I'm leaving here in the morning, probably around 9 o'clock. If you're here, you're here. If you're not, you're not. Either way, it's up to you."

He then turned, and walked into the Pokemon Centre. Monty stood still for a moment, Carlyle's words echoing in her mind. Growl looked up at her, and when she turned and began walking away, he proudly took his rightful place by her side.


	2. Letters Home

**Author's Note: This was the chapter that was particularly buggy last time, which made me have to remove everything and start again... Hope it goes better this time!**

**So, as always, please enjoy, and let me know what you think ;)**

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><p>It was late afternoon, and the still warm sun shone on Carlyle's face. The air was still, and the sounds of his Pokemon playing by the nearby riverbank could be heard clearly. He sat cross legged on the grass, and stared at the blank notebook in his hands, his mind just as empty. All of a sudden, his view was overtaken by a pair of large blue eyes. Monty's upside down face swam in front of his vision as she leaned over him, her curtain of brunette hair turning the sunlight into countless hues of browns, reds and golds. Carlyle blinked up at her.<p>

"Can I help you?" He tried to sound annoyed, but in truth he was more embarrassed. Carlyle had long been struggling with his current, seemingly impossible, task.

"I'm bored," Monty sighed, then straightened up to flop down beside him. Sunlight and sounds rushed back into Carlyle's word as Monty's veil of thick hair disappeared.

"I'm busy."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"You just said you were busy!"

Carlyle sighed impatiently. "I'm writing a letter."

"To who?"

"My parents!" Carlyle snapped. "Now, please go annoy someone else."

"There's no-one else here," Monty whined, "we're in the middle of nowhere."

"Go play with Growl, then."

"I can't, he's mad at me."

Carlyle closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Do I want to know why?"

Monty sighed and lay down on her back in the grass. "Probably not."

"Great," Carlyle grumbled, "then you can stop talking."

Monty took the hint. It hadn't taken her long to realise that when Carlyle acted like this, it was nothing personal. This was just him. He was often rude and condescending, not to mention impatient and inconsiderate. But she didn't think he was all that bad. Monty had learnt a lot about Pokemon and the world outside Aspertia City already, and the two of them had only left about a week ago. They hadn't travelled very far in that time; they had gone through Floccesy Town and were now nearing Virbank City, but neither of them seemed to be in all that much of a hurry. Some days they hadn't travelled at all, simply camping in the same place for several nights while training with their Pokemon during the day.

After several minutes of silence, Carlyle had still not put pen to paper. "If you want to talk to your parents," Monty interjected, "why don't you just call them on that Xtransciever thing you have?"

"Because, I –" Carlyle faltered for a moment. "Because, I don't know what to say."

"How about you just tell the truth?" Monty suggested, still lying on the grass beside him. "'I won a gym badge, had a lot of fun, made some friends...'"

"'Friends?'" Carlyle repeated. "As in plural? Last time I checked, you were only one person."

"What about Growl?"

"Growl doesn't count," Carlyle replied incredulously.

"Why not?" Monty sounded a little hurt.

Carlyle took a deep breath, and answered, "For one thing, he's a Pokemon, so I don't think my parents would find that particularly noteworthy. For another, Growl isn't exactly picky about the company he keeps, so becoming what he considers a friend isn't all that impressive an achievement anyway."

Monty had to admit, Carlyle was right about that. Just the other day, Growl had attempted to get to know a young girl's Cacnea. Monty had spent the entire evening picking needles out of a squirming Growl's mouth. She sighed, and continued trying to cheer him up.

"Well, that may be the case, but I'll still admit I'm a little concerned you felt the need to check that I was only one person in the first place." Monty sat up. "And when did this checking occur, exactly? Just so I know what to look out for in future."

"Oh, shut up," Carlyle scolded, but Monty could see the corners of his mouth curl upwards a little. She had almost made him smile.

"Alright," Monty once again flopped down into the grass, "I'll let you not write your letter in peace."

She stared up at the clear blue sky. _What would I write?_ She pondered. _What about all the little accomplishments? Learning new things, fun and friends... Parents are supposed to love all that crap, right?_ But it didn't matter; she had no-one to write to anyway. Monty had already said goodbye to the few people who mattered to her, and she couldn't picture them being all that interested in what she had done since she saw them last. Nevertheless, she closed her eyes, and tried to think of anything worth writing home about.

Meeting Carlyle's Pokemon for the first time had been... interesting. The day the two of them had left Aspertia City, Carlyle had released his Pokemon from their Pokeballs when the travellers stopped for lunch. Monty knew what species of Pokemon they were (she seemed to have picked up more knowledge than she had thought from all that time with Cheren in his gym), but had never seen most of them in real life. There were three of them, and Carlyle introduced them to Monty and Growl one by one. First he picked up a yellow Pokemon sitting at his feet which somewhat resembled a hairless cat. Or maybe an armadillo; Monty hadn't been exactly sure what to think of it. Carlyle had held his Abra tight to his chest as Monty stepped closer.

"This is my Abra," Carlyle had told her, a little smile on his face. He looked down, "Abra, this Monty, and her Growlithe. They're our new friends."

Monty had blushed a little when Carlyle had called her a friend, and smiled at the Pokemon in his arms, "Hi, Abra."

Abra hadn't replied, and its eyes were closed. It was hard for Monty to tell if it was pleased or angry. Or awake, for that matter. She looked back up at Carlyle.

"Is it OK?" she had asked, a little worried.

Carlyle's pale cheeks went a little pink. "Yeah, he's fine. Abra's always like this." He had carefully placed his (most likely sleeping) Pokemon back by his feet, and picked up the next for Monty to see. Growl had hesitantly snuck closer to Abra, and sniffed him, ears pricked and tail wagging. The assumed to be sleeping Pokemon had then turned his head to face Growl, and even let Growl rub his cheek against his.

"This," Carlyle began, with a Pokemon in his arms that looked a little like a blue and black lion cub, "is Shinx."

Shinx's huge yellow eyes were wide as he had gazed up at Monty. She had leaned over until she reached Shinx's eye level, and smiled, "Pleased to meet you, Shinx."

The little Flash Pokemon stared at Monty for a few moments, then squirmed around in Carlyle's arms until he was facing his trainer's chest. Shinx had looked back over his shoulder at Monty, curious yet cautious.

"Sorry," Carlyle apologised, "Shinx is a bit..." he had paused, until he found the right word, "pernickety."

"Hmm, interesting," Monty had said thoughtfully in reply. This had seemed to worry Carlyle.

"He'll be friendly once he knows you a little better," Carlyle had tried to assure Monty.

"Oh, it isn't that," Monty had said, standing up straight and looking at Carlyle again. "I was just under the impression the word 'pernickety' had dropped out of circulation forty years ago."

It hadn't been until Monty smiled at him did Carlyle realise he was being teased. He then laughed sarcastically, and put a squirming Shinx back onto the ground before announcing, "And lastly, here's – err, where did he go?"

Carlyle had looked around himself to find a little blue crocodile-like Pokemon hiding behind his legs, clinging to his jeans. Just as Carlyle had been about to lift his Totodile up for Monty to see, Growl curiously sniffed its tail. The Growlithe had been carefully making his way closer to the Big Jaw Pokemon while his trainer was distracted. Totodile had spun around and, upon seeing Growl's face an inch from his own, yelled out in shock and rocketed right into Carlyle's arms. In turn, Growl had yelped at the top of his lungs and almost barrelled Monty over when he crashed into her chest. Totodile's still quivering face buried in his chest, Carlyle had hugged the Pokemon close to try to calm him down, while Monty held a whimpering Growl tight, and the two of them locked eyes.

"Well, that could have gone better," Carlyle had admitted. Monty couldn't help but laugh.

Then again, Monty had to admit that the day they spent at Floccesy Ranch had to be her favourite. Carlyle, Monty and Growl had been walking along a dirt road just outside Floccesy Town, when something had caught Monty's eye. All of a sudden, she had yelled out, ran to the short, wooden fence on the road side and leaned over it as far as she could. Barely 20 feet away was a grazing Mareep.

"It's so _fluffy!_" Monty had squealed in excitement. Carlyle had laughed so hard Monty had ended up having to hit him over the head to snap him out of it. Before he had finished catching his breath, Monty had begun to climb the fence. Carlyle had quickly reached out a hand to stop her.

"What are you doing?" he had demanded, all laughter in his voice now gone.

"I just want to have a closer look," Monty had answered, balancing on the fence with one leg on each side.

Carlyle hadn't let go. "You can't. That's someone's property."

"So?" Monty, still balanced precariously, continued. "No-one's around, and we're not going to steal it or anything. Besides, it's right there; we'll be in and out in no time!" She smiled. Carlyle, still not completely convinced, had let her go.

"Alright," he had conceded, "but only for a minute."

"Aye aye, Captain!" Monty had saluted, before vaulting the fence and running off. Growl had wriggled under it and took off after her, leaving Carlyle behind. After giving an exasperated cry to the heavens, Carlyle had followed them. Monty was barely a foot from the still grazing Mareep when he had caught up with them. She was kneeling in the grass, and staring wide eyed at the ball of yellow fluff in front of her. Growl had sat beside her, head tilted to the side and ears pricked. The Mareep had seemed completely disinterested in them.

"Alright, you've had a closer look," Carlyle had pointed out, arms crossed, "now we should go."

"I want to touch it," Monty had said, starting to reach out her hand.

"Don't touch it!" Carlyle had warned, and grabbed her arm. But it was too late. The moment the tips of Monty's fingers came into contact with the Mareep's soft wool, an electric current had surged through the both of them. They had both been knocked backwards, Carlyle breaking Monty's fall. Carlyle had lain on his back in the grass while Monty rolled off him and sat up.

"What the crap was that?!" she had exclaimed, holding her hand to her chest. Growl had jumped around her, yelping, until Monty assured him she was alright. Satisfied, Growl then padded back over to the Mareep, now making sure to keep a safe distance.

"I told you not to touch it..." Carlyle had gasped from the ground. Monty had then put her hand under his back and helped him sit up. Carlyle held his head, and explained, "Mareep's wool is constantly charged with electricity. We're lucky we just got a shock; we could have been paralysed by its Static ability."

_Oops. _Too late, Monty had then remembered Cheren teaching her about Pokemons' abilities some time ago. Carlyle was still slumped over, and Monty had asked, "Are you OK? You don't look too good."

Annoyed, Carlyle had turned to her and snapped, "Maybe that has something to do with the fact you just landed on my chest. I _told_ you not to touch it!" He repeated.

Monty had taken her hand from his back and retorted, "You told me not to touch it _after_ I had _already_ touched it."

"Well, _you –_" Carlyle had begun, but Monty had then spotted something which made her suddenly leap up off the ground, eyes wide.

She had squealed again, and gazed at what was in front of her. They happened to have been blasted closer to the crest of a small, rounded hill, and down on the flat pasture below grazed dozens of yellow, fluffy Mareep. "There's a whole herd of them!"

"Flock," Carlyle had corrected unenthusiastically, still on the grass.

But Monty hadn't seemed to notice as she grabbed both of Carlyle's hands and hauled him to his feet, before pulling him towards the top of the hill. Growl had followed them as Monty and Carlyle reached the top and stopped beneath a huge oak tree, which seemed to have sprouted right on the crest. There had been a light breeze blowing through the leaves, while dappled sunlight filtered through the branches as Monty smiled down at the flock of Mareep, and Carlyle couldn't help but smile at Monty.

They had spent the rest of the afternoon lying under the tree, talking together and staring up through the oak's thick branches to the clear blue sky. Eventually, they had even fallen asleep, only to wake up as the sun was setting on the horizon behind the Mareep's endless paddock. Growl in her arms, Monty remembered watching the sun go down, then in the last fading light of the day, following Carlyle back over the fence of Floccesy Ranch.

_And none of that would have happened if I had got my way, _Monty thought while Carlyle shifted position on the grass beside her.

The day she left had definitely been one of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Monty had been awake almost all night, and the moment she had seen dawn filtering through her window, she made her final decision. They weren't going. Monty had decided that it was too great a risk. She had only just met this boy, and she was actually considering blindly following him while he battled gym leaders, and Monty would do... what? She still didn't even really know what she wanted. Growl's warm body had lain next to her in bed while she stared up at the slowing brightening ceiling. _No. It isn't worth the risk._

The moment she had come to this conclusion, her heart sank. Carefully sitting up so as to not disturb Growl, Monty had gotten out of bed and looked around her room. It had once been where her father slept, and she hadn't had the heart to change much. Hardly anything in here was hers; she used his dresser, slept in his bed, she even wore his old bandana. But she had taken away the pictures that filled the room before. Monty couldn't stand those pictures. A long time ago, she had carefully placed them in box, along with some other things Monty couldn't look at, slid it under the tiny bed in her old room, which had been hardly bigger than a closet, and closed the door behind her. That door had never opened again.

While debating over her decision the night before, Monty had found herself thinking of what to take with her if she left. She dug up her old school bag, and had even started filling it with a few things. Some clothes and pyjamas, two hair brushes (one for her and one for Growl), toothbrush, and what little money she had, as well as some small keepsakes she didn't want to leave behind. By the time she had finished, the bag had still been mostly empty. _That's it, _she had thought, _my entire life in a backpack..._ When she had gotten up in the morning after deciding not to go, Monty found the backpack waiting for her in the sitting room/kitchen of her tiny, rundown apartment. The apartment had three rooms; a bedroom, a bathroom, and another room just big enough for a kitchenette and little table. Monty didn't include her old bedroom, filled with old memories, dust and darkness.

While Monty was still contemplating the half empty backpack, Growl had padded into the room. Seeing the pack in her hands, Growl had jumped and barked with excitement, and ran to wait by the door. Monty put the bag down.

"No, Growl," she had said quietly, watching his head tilt in confusion, "we're not going." Growl had started to whine loudly. "I'm sorry, Growl. No."

Realising this tactic wasn't going to work, Growl had then walked with his head bowed and tail between his legs over to Monty's feet. Catching her off guard, Growl had seized Monty's backpack in his mouth and ran away with it.

"Growl!" Monty had exclaimed, surprised. He had faced her, holding up her bag, and very purposefully sat by the door. "I said no!" By this point, Monty had begun to be annoyed. Growl certainly hadn't been making this decision easy on her. "We can't just leave! What about our life here?"

Growl then huffed and stamped his front paw, as if to say, _Life? What life?_

Monty's eyes had begun to fill with tears; this decision had been difficult, and she was still thinking of the sinking feeling in her chest she had felt earlier that morning. That was the moment she had realised just how badly she had wanted to trust this boy, to be able to leave this place. But she couldn't. She didn't trust, and she couldn't leave. That was just the way things were.

Seeing how upset his trainer was, Growl had gently dropped the backpack and returned to Monty. He sat in front of her, and looked up with those big, sad eyes, giving her a long, soft whine. She had crouched down and rubbed her cheek against his, before sighing, "You really want to go, don't you?"

The two of them had looked at each other, and saw themselves reflected back. Before she knew what she was doing, Monty closed her eyes and said, "OK, Growl. You win."

All of a sudden, Growl had become a puppy again, yelping and squirming in the air as Monty looked on and laughed. The rest of the morning had become something of a blur. She had still been in shock at what she was doing when Monty showered and dressed, carefully tying her bandanna firmly around her neck, before heading out the door with Growl, her almost weightless life carried on her back. It had been well before nine o'clock, but there had been a few people Monty couldn't leave without saying goodbye to.

Their first stop had been Maurice's Deli, which opened early in the mornings to serve fresh baked goods to hungry commuters on their way to work. Growl had burst into the tiny shop, and had been bounding towards Maurice when Monty entered. She explained to Maurice what had happened yesterday, and that now his two best customers were leaving town. Monty wasn't sure what she had expected his reaction to be, but it certainly hadn't been a booming laugh and picking both her and Growl up off the ground into a tight hug. After almost squeezing the life out of them, Maurice let them down and bustled back into the tiny kitchen, yelling back over his shoulder clique advice and words of encouragement ("Haha! I always _knew_ you do great things, kiddo!"), and returned a short time later with a paper bag bursting full of food. Monty had still been trying to get her breath back after having her lungs squeezed empty when she saw the array of sandwiches, salads, drinks and desserts. Her eyes went wide, and Growl's mouth started watering. She had tried to protest, but Maurice had firmly waved them away, before stuffing the paper bag into Monty's backpack. At least the pack hadn't been empty anymore...

They had spent longer than they meant to with Maurice, as he had then insisted on making them eat a breakfast twice the size of their stomaches before they left. By the time they had gotten away, it wasn't far off nine o'clock, and Monty and Growl had to rush to their next, and final, stop. They had found Cheren where he always was before beginning classes for the day; in the huge glasshouse attached to the school, where the school's Pokemon were kept. He had smiled when he saw Monty, who would sometimes come at this time and help him care for the Pokemon, but his smile had quickly faded when he saw how flustered she was. Monty didn't have as much time as she would have liked to explain things to Cheren, and to say goodbye. But he had understood, and smiled knowingly as Monty spoke, simply saying, "Well, it's about time," when she had finished. It wasn't until Monty and Cheren had said their goodbyes, and her and Growl were almost at the Pokemon Centre did Monty realise that Cheren had been expecting this since he had made her escort Carlyle yesterday. _That sneaky bastard, _Monty had thought affectionately.

When they had arrived at the Pokemon Centre, it was a little past nine o'clock, and Monty's heart was pounding in her chest, her mind buzzing with nerves. _Too late now, _she had conceded, then followed Growl through the familiar front doors. For a moment, she had feared Carlyle had left without her, then she had spotted him a corner booth, fidgeting and staring at the empty table in front of him.

"Growl! Growl, growl!" Carlyle's head had snapped up as Growl barked and bounded towards him. He had skidded to a halt by the booth as Carlyle, smiling, stood up and waited for a red-faced Monty to catch up.

"You decided to come," Carlyle smiled. It wasn't really a question; he had seemed to say it more to assure himself of the fact than to ask Monty.

Still, Monty had looked down at her excited Pokemon, and answered, "Apparently."

Carlyle tore the page he had written on out of his notebook and folded it neatly, before shutting the book. The sun was lower in the sky now, and the light was slowly turning orange.

"Finished?" Monty asked from her resting place in the grass.

Carlyle sighed, "I guess."

"Good," Monty sat up beside him, and stood up, extending a hand, "it's getting late."

He took her hand and stood up, and they walked back to their little campsite by the water, Growl, Abra, Totodile and Shinx waiting for them.

"So, what did you write?" Monty asked slyly.

"Shut up," he answered, smiling.


	3. Throwing a Bone

Growl trotted along the long dirt road beside Monty's feet, gazing around at the slowly thickening trees on either side. He had been thoroughly enjoying his experience outside of Aspertia City, even more than Monty; all new sights and sensations, new tastes and new people, not to mention three brand new Pokemon pals to play with. But best of all were the new smells Growl was now experiencing every day. A fresh rural stream, a dusty road and fragrant trees were what happened to be filling Growl's eager nostrils at that very moment.

THWACK! Growl leaped a foot into the air and yelped as Monty squealed beside him. The girl immediately crouched down beside a dumb-struck Carlyle, having suddenly been knocked to the dusty ground, and helped him sit up. He clutched at the back of his head and groaned.

"What the hell was that?!" Monty exclaimed, frantically looking for anything out of the ordinary along the roadside, keeping one hand on Carlyle's back. Right about now, Growl knew that any fiercely loyal and protective Pokemon would bound to their trainer's side, ready to give their life shielding them from whatever dangers may be present. On balance, however, Growl decided the best course of action was to crouch behind Monty, tail between his legs, and whimper.

"I have no idea," Carlyle groaned, inspecting his palms, presumably, for any traces of blood, "but it bloody hurt."

Growl spotted something which made his ears prick and his head tilt to the side. Cautiously, the Puppy Pokemon ventured out from the safety of his human-shield, and gingerly sniffed at something in the middle of the road. Carlyle was cringing as he gently felt the lump rising on the back of his head when Growl trotted back to them, proudly dropping a bone in Monty's lap. Monty had only just picked up the bone and was turning it over in her hands when her head snapped up, nerves on edge. There was a muffled crashing behind a pair of trees on the side of the road, a lone figure suddenly erupting from the foliage.

Carlyle and Monty looked at the figure in front of them for a moment, then at each other, and back to the figure again. A teenage girl was doubled over in the middle of the road, hands on her knees, trying desperately to catch her breath. Short golden blonde hair fell into her eyes as the girl straightened, and faltered when she spotted Monty and Carlyle, still sprawled in the dirt. The girl seemed lost for words for a moment, bright green eyes growing wide. Recovering a little, she took a step towards them, opening her mouth to speak. Without even knowing why, bone still in hand, Monty looped her arm around Carlyle's chest and held him closer. At this, the girl again faltered, before raising her hands a little.

"Sorry for interrupting... whatever this is," she began, all three of them seemingly rooted to the spot, "but you haven't seen a bone fly past here, by any chance?"

It was a moment before Monty snapped to her senses, and almost caused Carlyle to jump out his skin as she let out an excited "Oh!" and leapt up off the ground. She held out her hand. "You mean this?"

The girl's face instantly lit up as she rushed forward to take the dry, white bone from Monty's outstretched hand. She held it close to her chest and beamed at Monty, while Carlyle slowly rose to his feet behind them. Seeming to suddenly remember something, the girl turned back towards the trees she had burst out of, raised her thumb and forefinger to her mouth, and gave a shrill whistle.

"Ow," Carlyle interjected unhappily from beside Monty, a hand still placed on the back of his head. He turned to Monty, "And I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"What's up with your head?" the girl chirped at an already very annoyed Carlyle. He looked at the oblivious girl, filed her under 'too hard to deal with right now', waved his hand in Monty's general direction and turned away. _You deal with this._

Monty sighed as Growl sat down at Carlyle's feet, gazing up at him. She opened her mouth to speak, when a familiar rustling came from the nearby tree line. A small, brown blur burst out of the trees, only stopping when it collided with the blonde girl's legs. Knocked onto its backside, the little Cubone hardly had time to shake its skull adorned head before it was scooped up by the mysterious girl.

"I found it!" she shrilled happily, holding the Lonely Pokemon in one arm and waving the bone in front of the Cubone's face with the other.

"Bone bone!" the Pokemon squealed, reaching out to take its bone. The girl smiled down at Cubone in her arms as it hugged its newly reunited bone tight to its chest. Monty felt her discomfort grow as this touching moment stretched on, until Carlyle's patience wore thin. He spat out a very purposeful cough. The girl and her Cubone looked up.

"Well, this has been lovely," he folded his arms and continued, "especially the part when my skull was fractured by a little girl with a pixie cut and her pile of walking bones."

Now it was Monty's turn to be annoyed. "Your skull is not _fractured_. It's just a little lump. It didn't even break the skin," she huffed.

"I could have a concussion!" Carlyle snapped, genuinely concerned for his own well-being.

Monty rolled her eyes. "You do _not_ have a concussion."

"How do you know that, then?"

Monty folded her arms. "Because you managed to stand without throwing up."

"Well that hardly seems like a clinical diagnosis," Carlyle grumbled.

Monty simply rolled her eyes again. She knew he was only in such a foul mood because they had been arguing when Cubone's bone knocked Carlyle to the ground.

_It had gone a little like this._

_Monty: "You got us lost, didn't you?"_

_Carlyle: "We are not lost! I know exactly where we are!"_

_Monty: "So do I! _The middle of nowhere!_"_

_This had been the point at which Carlyle's head had suddenly been pitched forwards, finding himself lying in the dust._

Monty and Carlyle both stood with their arms folded across their chests, refusing to look at each other, when the girl with the Cubone tried to apologise. "I'm really sorry we hit you," this seemed to get some of Carlyle's attention, so she continued, "Cubone and I were practising our Bonemerang attack in the field over there." She nodded to the tree line, branches now obviously ruffled where she and her Pokemon had exploded through them.

"That didn't look much like a Bonemerang," Carlyle huffed. "That wasn't even a Pokemon attack. If it doesn't come back, you're just throwing a bone."

This managed to raise a little laugh from Monty. "What's so funny?" Carlyle snipped at her.

"It was only an accident," Monty said, still smiling, "maybe we should throw them a bone too, since they threw you one."

Carlyle blinked at her for a moment, then rolled his eyes and went back to scowling. The girl with the Cubone seemed to decide Monty was a safer choice for conversation at this point, and so took a step towards her.

"I'm Pan, by the way, and this is Cubone," Pan smiled at Monty.

Monty smiled back, "I'm Monty." She gestured to Carlyle and her Growlithe still sitting at his feet, "This little ray of sunshine is Carlyle, and that's Growl." Pan and Cubone both smiled and waved at Carlyle, who, to his credit, managed a curt nod, while Growl barked and panted happily in greeting.

"So, what are you guys doing out here, anyway?" Pan asked Monty. Monty explained that they were headed to Virbank City, while Carlyle seemed to prickle with silent indignation. Pan laughed a little, "You know you're on the wrong road, right?"

Monty slowly turned and glared at Carlyle while he pretended not to notice, cheeks steadily growing redder. "But don't worry! I know the way back!" Pan grinned happily as she took hold of Monty's wrist and suddenly pulled her forwards, who in turn grabbed the front of Carlyle's shirt to drag him along for the ride.

It didn't take long for Monty and Pan to fall into step and start talking together, Carlyle still silently fuming on the other side of Monty. Now that all the excitement was over, Monty was able to take a better look at Pan. She guessed Pan was a little younger than herself, with very short golden hair that fell into a neat pixie cut. Her eyes were a light green, almost olive coloured. She wore a light blue long-sleeved shirt under a brown leather vest and a matching pair of little leather shorts, as well as yellow running shoes. As she led Monty and Carlyle on a winding path through trees and fields, Pan spoke about Virbank City, about herself and her family, about Cubone. Monty was finding it increasingly difficult to get a word in, so eventually gave up and was content with smiling, laughing or nodding when Pan paused for breath. Before long, the three of them reached a wide, asphalt road, Pan happily announcing that this was, in fact, the _correct _road to take to get to Virbank.

"Thank you so much for your help," Monty thanked Pan over the constant buzzing of cars speeding past. "I'm sure we can manage from here, if you'd like to get back to training." She rubbed the top of Cubone's skull affectionately.

Pan waved a hand in dismissal, holding Cubone with the other arm. "Nah, we weren't really getting anywhere anyway. We'll just head back home to Virbank with you guys!"

A fresh wave of silent frustration erupted out of Carlyle. A little while along the wide pedestrian path, Pan's constant chatter had settled once again on the seemingly inexhaustible subject of her Cubone. Monty had learned from recent experience that now was as good a time as any to fall back a little and bury her elbow in Carlyle's ribs with little chance of Pan noticing.

"Ahhg!" was the first sound to escape Carlyle's lips in some time. "What?!"

"Has anyone ever told you," Monty began, her tone suspiciously sweet, "that you are a gargantuan jerk?"

"Yes. You. Often," Carlyle answered shortly, rubbing his side. "And 'gargantuan' seems like a quite a big word for a girl so small," he sneered.

"I am _not_ short!" Monty shouted with a whisper, despite having to crane her head upwards in order to glare daggers at Carlyle's face. He had quickly learnt that the fact of the top of her head hardly reaching his shoulders was a bit of a sore topic for Monty. She took a breath, "You've had plenty of time to sulk about your little faceplant, so now would you please just _get over it?_"

"I am _not_ sulking," Carlyle sulked. "Besides, that's not the problem. I _told_ you we weren't lost!"

"And you were wrong!"

"No, I _wasn't!_" Carlyle took a deep breath, while Monty's wide eyes blinked up at him in surprise. "Just because we weren't taking the same road everyone else does doesn't mean it was wrong. It would have taken a little longer, but if we followed that road it would have connected to _this_ road near to Virbank City. Taking the back road meant we could have avoided all these houses, and cars and people. And besides," he stared straight ahead, "it was beautiful."

Monty looked down at her feet in silence as they walked. He was right; the countryside _had_ been beautiful. Rolling gold and green hills, endless golden farmland, the road lined with tall trees, their leaves a myriad of reds, browns and yellows. And all Monty had been thinking about was how eager she was to finally get to Virbank City.

"Sorry," she said quietly, carefully looking up from her boots. Carlyle nodded. "But," Monty continued, bumping him gently with her shoulder, "this isn't Pan's fault."

Carlyle ran his fingers through his usually neat hair, then pinched the bridge of his nose. Monty knew she had won when he let out a guttural moan and let his hand flop back down to his side. Grinning, she grabbed Carlyle by the arm and pulled him forward until they were once again walking in step with Pan.

"So," Pan turned to the pair, obviously completely unaware they had not been listening to her until several seconds ago, "what brings you to Virbank, anyway?"

"A gym battle," Carlyle answered, still a little reluctantly, from the other side of Monty. They were nearing the end of the road now, and buildings that had seemed so far away not long ago were now looming in front of them.

Pan smirked, something which seemed quite out of character to Monty. "Well then," her green eyes burned into Carlyle cool, brown orbs, "I would wish you luck, but I don't think it'll be much help against Roxie."

Carlyle gulped loudly.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Looks like we're getting close to Carlyle's next gym battle. I've been looking forward to writing my first battle, so let's see how it goes!<strong>

**Thanks for reading, as always!**


	4. Interrupting Band Practice

**Author's Note: So this is my first time writing up a battle. Please be gentle! I used a mix of anime and game battle dynamics (including some movesets from the anime and the likeliness of one hit KOs from the game), so I really hope you guys enjoy it! Please review, if only to let me know someone's actually read it ;) Thanks!**

"This is it! The Virbank City Gym!" Pan declared as she, Monty and Carlyle stopped in front of a small, dingy doorway in between a large warehouse and a block of rundown apartments. Growl sat at Monty's feet, and the both of them tilted their heads to the side in confusion. Carlyle was the one who voiced their shared concerns.

"Are... you sure?" He looked up at the only distinguishing feature in front of him; a flickering pink neon light above the doorway almost unrecognisably shaped like a Pokeball.

"Yup!" Pan chirped happily. "It may not look like much," she poked Carlyle in the chest, "but Roxie's gym has chewed up and spat out plenty of trainers just like you," she finished with a wink. While Carlyle was still a little shocked at being prodded by an almost complete stranger, Pan smiled and pushed open the colourfully damaged door. What greeted Carlyle's apprehensive gaze was less than impressive.

A short, narrow staircase littered with clutter led to a small platform a little below him. The crumbling brick walls were _covered_ with paint and paper; flickering, florescent lights illuminated colourful graffiti and crooked posters overlapped with sprawling advertisements. Carlyle's attention settled on one particularly large, over enthusiastic advertisement; _I can sing! Wanted: The rest of a band!_ He looked back at Monty, partly to assure himself she was still there, then followed Pan down the next flight of equally stimulating stairs. The sound of musical instruments and equipment grew louder as they reached the main floor. Once again, Pan proceeded to open the damaged double doors.

Carlyle followed her inside, and heard Monty gasp behind him, "The gym is a _bar?_" Carlyle was just as surprised as she was; a large stage took up most of the room, with many small tables and chairs clustered around its base. A few people were gathered around some instruments on the stage, but the music they had heard outside seemed to be coming from the large speakers either side of it. On one wall stood a (purposefully, Carlyle assumed) dingy looking bar, with an elevated DJ booth cluttered with equipment, CDs and even a few vinyl records on the other. A rather intimidating young man with ripped clothing and a purple Mohawk tended to a few similarly attired patrons at the bar, despite the fact that it was hardly mid afternoon. Seeing this, Monty laughed, "After your gym battle, maybe we could have a drink."

Still following Pan as she weaved through tables towards the brightly lit stage, Carlyle answered, "You're 17, you can't buy alcohol." Clearly Monty thought this situation was a lot funnier than he did.

"No," he could clearly imagine Monty's sly smile as she said, "but you can." Carlyle was a little older than she was; as he was over 18, he was considered to be an adult and therefore capable of buying their drinks.

Carlyle still refused, "No. Now, please shut up."

Monty blew her fringe out of her eyes in annoyance. "I was only joking," she mumbled.

They reached the stage. Monty, who had still been gazing around the gym in awe, bumped into Carlyle's back with a small "Ooof", but he hardly seemed to notice. His stomach was tying itself in knots as Pan yelled out to the people on the stage, "Hey! Roxie!"

They all turned to face Pan, a girl in the front with white hair, blue eyes and a bizarre pink and blue striped 'dress' (_For lack of a better word_, Carlyle thought) lit up and waved. The girl Carlyle assumed to be Roxie bounded over to the edge of the stage, grinning. "Hey Pan, you back for another try?"

Pan laughed and rubbed the back of her neck a little nervously, Cubone mimicking her at her feet, "Nah, I think I've finally learnt when to quit," she grabbed Carlyle's shoulders and pushed him a little closer to the stage, "but I've found you a _new_ challenger!"

"Oh?" Roxie leaned even closer and seemed to examine Carlyle. He tried to take a nervous step back under her scrutinising gaze, but Pan still had a firm grip on his shoulders. Hearing Monty trying not to laugh behind him, Carlyle's cheeks flushed a little. Roxie suddenly laughed and stood up straight again, "Alright! I guess band practice is gunna have to wait, guys!" The people behind her grumbled and sighed, picking up various musical instruments and pieces of equipment and taking them off stage. Once the stage was empty save for a few floorlights, and Roxie herself, she asked, "Well? What are you waiting for? Get up here!"

Carlyle bawked, "Wh-what? We're going to battle right now?"

Roxie just laughed again, grabbed Carlyle's arms and suddenly hauled him up onto the stage. Face flushed, Carlyle scrambled to his feet beside Roxie. She was a lot shorter now than she had seemed before. It was only now that he was actually on the stage that Carlyle noticed the white lines marking out a battlefield, albeit one of the smallest he had ever seen. He was about to ask the Gym leader if she was sure it was safe to battle in here, when she pointed to one end of the stage/battlefield, "Alright, that's your end over there," then spun around and made her way to the other side.

_This is all happening so fast. _Carlyle felt panic rising in his chest as he made his way over to 'his end' of the field. Planting his feet firmly in place, he faced Roxie across the battlefield. "I hope you don't mind if everyone watches," she called to him. "After all, you _did_ kinda interrupt our band practice."

Carlyle's throat went dry when he looked down at the tables at the front of the stage. Roxie's band mates, as well as the scary bartender and his patrons, had all sat down to watch the match. He spotted Monty sitting beside Pan and Cubone. On her other side sat who he assumed to be Roxie's drummer. The young man dressed in tight, black clothing was casually twirling a pair of drum sticks with his fingers, laughing and leaning in far too close towards her. Monty certainly didn't seem to mind though; she laughed along with him, eyes bright and cheeks pink. Carlyle turned his attention back to the Gym leader, guts boiling. A referee for the battle stood at the back of the stage. He explained the gym's rules; a two on two battle, with only the challenger being allowed substitutions. Before Carlyle had really come to grips with what was happening, the referee lowered his flags and shouted, "Begin!"

Roxie laughed and threw a Pokeball high into the air, "You're up, Koffing!" while Carlyle fumbled a little with the Pokeballs at his belt, before opening one, "Alright Shinx, let's go!"

Carlyle's little Shinx glared across the battlefield at a grinning purple cloud of poisonous gas. Roxie was quick to give her commands, "Koffing, use Smog!" The field was immediately covered with a thick, foul smelling fog, making Carlyle's eyes and throat burn. Before Carlyle could say anything, he heard Roxie's voice again, "Now, use Tackle!" He heard a heavy impact somewhere in the smog, and his Pokemon cried out.

_That Koffing is fast!_ The smog cleared, and Carlyle's Shinx was getting back onto his feet. Heart pounding, Carlyle commanded, "Shinx, use Charge, quick!" The little Flash Pokemon began to glow electric blue, storing energy. "Koffing, use Tackle again!" Roxie yelled out. Her Poison Gas Pokemon sped towards Shinx, still grinning. Just as it was about to make an impact, Carlyle roared, "Spark, Shinx!" Electrical energy burst out of Shinx in every direction, halting Koffing in its tracks.

"Kofffffiiiiiing!" Roxie's Pokemon cried out as it was jolted by the powerful blast. Carlyle's smile disappeared as Koffing stayed airborne when the electricity had left its gas-filled body. Shinx glared at his stupidly grinning opponent for a moment, then let out a pitiful cry and fell off balance.

"Shinx!" Carlyle cried out. _What's going on?_ his mind raced, watching his little Flash Pokemon shake and sweat, _We didn't take that much damage... _Realisation hit him like a Snorlax's Body Slam; Smog may not have been a very powerful attack, but it has the chance of causing poisoning to an opponent. Shinx had obviously been poisoned. Carlyle unclipped Shinx's empty Pokeball from his belt. "Shinx, return." A bright red light engulfed his struggling Pokemon, and recalled him to the safety of his Pokeball. Roxie smirked at him from across the battlefield, waiting.

Carlyle unclipped another Pokeball and called, "It's up to you, Abra!" His Psi Pokemon appeared on the field in a flash of light. Carlyle let himself smile a little; he was more confident battling with Abra than with his other Pokemon. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Shinx and Totodile, but Carlyle had only met them when he had started on his journey not long ago. Abra, on the other hand, had been by his side for as long as he could remember.

"A Psychic type, huh?" Roxie's voice floated across the battlefield. "This'll be good! Koffing, use Smog!" Again, thick fog began to flood the stage. "Lightscreen!" Carlyle commanded. A wall of translucent energy appeared in front of a relaxed Abra before Koffing's Smog had reached it. Most of the Smog was deflected by Abra's Lightscreen, but it still managed to cause damage.

Wisps of smog still lingering on the stage, Carlyle cried, "Use Teleport!" Abra instantly disappeared. Koffing stared at the place where Abra had previously been sitting, befuddled. Before Roxie had a chance to pull her Poison Gas Pokemon together, a shape appeared in mid-air directly behind it. "Confusion!" Carlyle commanded. A wave of blue energy hit Koffing as it spun around to face its opponent. It cried out as it was held rigid by Abra's psychic energy, and proceeded to drop to the floor. Abra lightly floated down beside the fainted Koffing.

Roxie let out a little laugh as she recalled her Koffing. "Nice work," she said to Carlyle. Another Pokeball appeared in her hand, "But we're not done yet!" Throwing it high in the air once again, another spherical, purple Pokemon appeared on the stage from within the Pokeball's red light. "Let's do this, Whirlipede!"

Having already Teleported back to Carlyle's end of the battlefield, Abra and Whirlipede calmly stared at each other. "Whirlipede," Roxie cried, "use Poison Sting!" Carlyle rebutted this with another Lightscreen, significantly softening the blow. "Another Poison Sting!" she called again. Carlyle knew what she was planning; if Abra was poisoned now, he had little chance of winning the battle. He had to end this, and fast.

"Abra, keep up the Lightscreen, and use Calm Mind!" A downpour of tiny bright purple Poison Stingers pounded Abra's protective wall as he concentrated. A white energy seemed to build up around him, oozing out of him. Finally, Whirlipede's Poison Sting let up, and Abra was able to lower his Lightscreen. _It's now or never_, Carlyle clenched his jaw, then cried, "Teleport, Abra!" His Psi Pokemon disappeared once again. But Roxie was ready this time.

"Whiripede, behind you!" she called out with a smirk. "Poison Sting!" Her Curlipede Pokemon seemed to fire at thin air. But then, Arba appeared in amongst the cloud of stingers. "Abrrrraaaaa!" Abra was knocked backwards, landing hard and skidding a few feet across the stage. Carlyle yelled out in shock. Abra got to his feet once again. Carlyle looked at him closely, but he appeared to be alright. Not realising he had been holding his breath, Carlyle exhaled in relief.

"Alright Abra, Confusion!" Just as soon as the words had left Carlyle's mouth, Roxie called, "Protect, Whirlipede!" A wall of light surrounded her Pokemon as Abra attacked. The immense energy of Abra's Confusion was completely diffused by Whirlipede's Protect, leaving Roxie's Pokemon unharmed. Carlyle's jaw was hurting from clenching it for so long, but he didn't even notice as he commanded, "Another Confusion!" to which Roxie rebutted with yet another Protect. _Protect is going to fail sooner or later, _Carlyle thought desperately, _it has to!_

While Abra was busy on the offensive, Roxie took the opportunity to launch an attack of her own once Whirlipede's Protect had subsided, "One more Poison Sting, Whirlipede!" Another cloud of purple stingers rushed towards Abra. "Teleport!" Carlyle called out just in time. Abra disappeared just before Whirlipede's attack made contact. Whirlipede spun around again, waiting for Abra to reappear behind it. Carlyle's heart skipped a beat, _That's it!_ He called to his not-quite-anywhere-yet Pokemon, "Abra! Up!"

Roxie either hadn't heard him or had decided Carlyle's comment was not worth noticing as she commanded her Whirlipede to shoot another Poison Sting into empty space. The stingers sailed through the air and kept going; Abra had not appeared. "Abra, use Confusion!" Carlyle called out to his Pokemon. Just in time, both Roxie and Whirlipede looked up to see Abra hovering close to the ceiling. A powerful wave of psychic energy engulfed Whirlipede. When it had passed, Whirlipede tipped onto its front, completely immobile.

Carlyle took what he felt was his first breath in an age. Roxie called out words of thanks to her fainted Pokemon, before recalling it to its Pokeball. Following her lead, Carlyle's numb hand found Abra's Pokeball, and with an incoherent murmur, Abra was engulfed by a familiar red light. It had all happened so fast, Carlyle could hardly believe it; he had won his second Gym Badge. Both the referee's declaration of his victory and the small crowd's cheers fell on deaf ears as Roxie crossed the stage, grinning. Carlyle found his feet somehow shifting under him, and he met Roxie in the middle of the stage.

"That was one rockin' battle! You've _definitely_ earned this!" With a flourish, Roxie presented Carlyle with a shining, purple Gym Badge. He simply looked at it for a moment, before carefully reaching out and plucking it from her open palm.

"Thank you," he said to her, then looked back down at his Toxic badge. He heard Roxie turn away and start to walk to the edge of the stage, assumedly wanting to carry on with her obviously very important band practice. Before he knew what was happening, something collided with Carlyle, knocking the wind out him. With a squeal, Monty had stretched up on her tip-toes and managed to throw her arms around his shoulders at speed. Carlyle gave her an awkward pat on the back.

"That was _amazing!_" Monty grinned up at him after releasing him from her death grip, eyes wide and shining.

"Ah, thanks," Carlyle smiled and gave her another awkward pat on the head, before frowning. "Don't do that again."

Monty just rolled her eyes as Pan stumbled her way onto the stage, having helped Growl and Cubone up before her. Monty had vaulted up so quickly after the battle ended Growl had been left jumping up and clawing at the edge of the stage trying to follow her.

"So," Monty bumped a still dazed Carlyle with her shoulder, "we should celebrate your incredible victory over a renowned and respected Gym Leader, yes?"

Slipping his Toxic Badge into his pocket, Carlyle began to walk back over to the edge of the stage, "I'm still not buying you a drink."

**Sorry for all the (mostly accidental, I swear!) alliterations in this chapter... And just a quick note: I live in Australia, and the legal age to drink here is 18. It's not all that important, just thought I'd make that known in case you were wondering ****J**


End file.
